First it was a no, then a noncommittal maybe then a definitive no. At least we won't have to fret too much over Volkswagen's newest generation of the Scirocco, the coupe it will unveil at the Geneva motor show next week.

The reason we're not getting the new two-door is simple. Volkswagen's U.S. team thinks there's too much overlap with the splendiferous GTI. And even though they're pushing to expand the lineup, they're not so eager as to import a low-volume coupe that likely wouldn't pay for itself, what with the utterly wack dollar/Euro relationship.

We're sitting on the details until next Monday's embargo on press release information, but you can get a good idea of the Scirocco's intent by going back to our initial story on the IROC coupe concept from the 2006 Paris auto show.

In the meantime, stay tuned for more Geneva show coverage, and enjoy our high-res Scirocco photo gallery here.

I'm trying to do this secretly, but it's not working. In the five or six miles it takes to get from downtown San Diego to Hillcrest, I've almost caused two accidents, caused the owner of a mid-Nineties Bonneville to slide back and forth at a stoplight to get a stem-to-stern-to-stem-again look at the new G8, and finally, caused two black-golf-shirt types in a Mustang convertible to stop, pull over, gawk and circle.

People know the Pontiac G8 is new, but why? Does it connect the dots of a musclecar outline, or is it just a great-looking sedan?

This morning, co-driver Joe Tralongo and I wondered if the G8's sleek shape would make the enthusiast tach rise to redline. It's a relatively unadorned body, after all. And when a Charger R/T in sunburst orange blew by us on the Interstate, the G8's refined stance (which ends up looking like Honda's new Accord in profile) seems a little less musclebound. There are musclecar cues--the fender louvers, quad tailpipe tips, a sharp mini-spoiler on the trunk and red faces on the gauges--but a few upscale glints too, like the thin chrome-like trim that outlines the door handles.

A year ago, we asked stylists around the industry what a musclecar should look like. What gives them their unique appeal--other than the obvious V-8 muscle? GM designer Brian Smith told us it's in the long-hood, short-deck stance and the contouring of the body -- neither of which the G8 has in spades. And yet there's something recognizable in its look, probably the Pontiac grille, flared nostrils and all, that signals muscle to the other drivers I'm trying to nudge away from the G8's brand-new, unscathed flanks.

The G8 hits a big target--conservative enough to dress in black, flared and scooped enough to wear lascivious red paint without irony. If you really want raw muscle, though, the Charger is probably the better choice.

Tomorrow, we'll take a look at the G8's rear seat and how it spreads out compared to the Charger and Accord--and later this weekend, we'll talk more about the V-8 and automatic drivetrain, and how you can tell the G8's cockpit was built to be built around the world. In the meantime, enjoy some more G8 photography over in our photo galleries, and tell us what you think of the G8's styling in a comment below.

Okay, so maybe we expect blissful sunshine and 70 degrees when we visit San Diego - and right now, at a roadside nursery with an interesting stash of almost-classic cars tucked in the garage, it's barely 50 and cool under a marine layer.

Nevermind that, because Pontiac's G8 is giving us the reason to be outside on the road. And it's reminding us why rear-wheel drive just feels better.

I'm not in the big V-8 version of the G8 that enthusiast magazines have been fawning over since the G8 was confirmed for production. The V-6 version might be the better-balanced machine, some of my Pontiac hosts insist. And from a short stint at the wheel, it's a plausible argument. The V-6 version is GM's 3.6-liter with an ample 256 horsepower (The 6.0-liter V-8's an admitted horsepower-holic, at 361 hp), and has no problem weaving itself through highway lange changes and passes. The steering wheel's a skinnier version, but still transmits good, reassuring feelings of control, darting in and out of morning San Diego traffic.

And most important, the V-6 G8 still looks the part. Ours is attention-whore red, with a decklid spoiler and louvers in the hood that apparently are in demand in Australia, where the similar big Holden sedans get a plainer treatment.

Pontiac's welcome return to rear-drive comes at a time when CAFE rules and gas prices are conspiring against it. It's good to see it so well-executed, even in those strong headwinds.

The capitalist tools at Forbes have spoken--and when it comes to used cars, the Honda Accord really gets them excited.

Of all the cars available through "certified pre-owned" programs, Forbes says, it's the Accord that topped its survey, which was largely based on reliability data from Consumer Reports magazine, along with safety performance and available warranties. Running just behind the Accord were the Toyota 4Runner, Acura TL, Subaru Impreza and Lexus GS.

The worst of the bunch, Forbes says, are vehicles like the Saturn Relay, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Pontiac G6, VW New Beetle and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles are taken back on lease or in trade by auto dealers when they look to be in sound mechanical shape and have low miles. The makers refurbish them if needed and re-sell them to the public, often with a limited warranty included. J.D. Power and Associates says that the practice is booming, with CPO sales up 46 percent since 2000.

Honda Accord tops 'Forbes' best certified used car list - USATODAY.com

It's not been a great week for alternative fuels and plug-in hybrids.

While the world pretty much knows the consequences of Big Oil--stagflation, geopolitical instability, and a yet-to-be-determined effect on the environment--the world of ethanol and plug-in electric power could be worse in some ways, dueling reports suggest.

Our Cargirl already discussed how the state of the art in E85, corn-based fuel, is an ecological problem. Ethanol, it turns out, is also problematic when it comes to vehicle fires. FoxNews reports that water can't be used to put out ethanol flames, and that the foaming agent used to put out gasoline fires is ineffective for ethanol fires. Fire departments don't always stock the ethanol foam, and it's more expensive to boot. Cars and trucks, though, aren't the major concern here--it's the trucks that transport the fuel around the country that could be the problem.

When it comes to plug-in hybrids, it's worse news. Plug-ins might actually boost air pollution over gas-powered cars, USA Today reports, just as automakers are pushing forward with plans for plug-ins like the Chevrolet Volt and Toyota Prius. Two reports suggest that tailpipe emissions could be more than offset by the higher emissions from power plants generating the electricity required to recharge the plug-in hybrids, particularly in areas where coal-burning plants are the norm. Plug-ins could boost the levels of sulfur dioxide in the air; SO2 isn't produced as much by cars as it is by power plants.

Alternative fuels have a role to play, experts say, but none is an ideal choice. Other choices for plug-in power--such as wind--depend on somewhat unpredictable natural effects. Nuclear power could resolve some of the problem - but the newest nuclear reactor built in America was finished in 1996. As for E85, the future seems to lie in switchgrass and biomass waste as the source of fuel, but no company's been able to execute on them yet.

We're in an era of experiments, and likely will be for a couple of decades. The questions around E85 and plug-ins likely won't be resolved without major technological leaps-which makes it as uncertain as ever that plug-ins and alternative-fuel vehicles are the next big thing.